MATCH REPORT: BAFA DIVISION 2 EAST. GAME 1. NORWICH DEVILS @ OUSE VALLEY EAGLES

The Norwich Devils American Football Club 2022 Division 2 season got underway against the Ouse Valley Eagles at the Bedford Athletic Rugby Club at Putnoe Wood, Bedford.

Devils completed a solid pre-season training package and went into the game with some new faces in key spots. However, a core group returned from the 2021 campaign and solidified the offence and defence. This allowed for a smooth transition into game 1. Confidence was high and the team was ready. The question was whether they would gel in real game conditions and perform against a continuously improving opponent in the Eagles.

The Devils kicked off and then sent the defence on the field. The Eagles went off-tackle right with a run to the strong side, and broke through, but a quick reaction from DE Chris Waterhouse wrapped the runner for only a short gain. A similar run found the back met in the hole by MLB Seth Shipley. No gain. The Eagles passed on third down but it was incomplete. The punt following the 3 and out landed on their own 45.

QB Jay Crawl led the Devils offence out and they immediately went to work. Passes to Adam Jones and Aaron Wheatley drove the team down inside the 3 yard line but they couldn’t punch it in. A stout defence from the Eagles stalled the drive, and after going for it on 4^th down and failing, the Eagles took over from the Devils deep in their own territory.

Unfortunately, disaster struck on their first play as the running back mishandled the toss and the Shipley recovered the loose ball. The devils’ offence was back in play. Jay Crawl hit Fred Harris on an out route on 2^nd down and the Devils were on the board.

The Eagles’ next drive stuttered and was ultimately ended by a strip sack from Chris Waterhouse. Liam Lane and Ian Hardy also joined the eventual gang tackle but the writing was on the wall after the initial hit from Waterhouse. The Eagles’ Left Guard fell on the ball and Ouse punted.

Norwich took over on the Eagles 47 and went for a deep shot. Jay Crawl dropped back, rolled right, and sent a long arcing ball down the right hand side towards a wide open Aaron Wheatley. Wheatley stretched and the ball brushed his fingers tips and fell harmlessly to the ground.

The Devils were forced to punt two plays later after Ouse Valley sent and outside linebacker blitz and #91 sacked Crawl for a 9 yard loss.

There followed a series of short drives and 3 and outs from both teams. Crawl was intercepted by #51 to end one such drive and another Ouse drive was cut short when Lewis Norton intercepted #1 and ran it back 77 yards for 6. Celebrations were cut short, however, by a flag for illegal block in the back against Norwich DE Ian Hardy.

Ouse Valley attempted a field goal late in the 2^nd quarter but #22’s kick sailed wide left. The devils took over and executed their 2 minute drill. They marched down the field with runs from Jay Crawl, a catch from Fred Harris, and a last seconds pass to Adam Jones that saw him pick up YAC all the way down to the 1 yard line as time expired.

The devils received the ball to start the second half and took to the ground with a power running attack behind veteran Tim Johnson. The offensive line mauled the Eagles on a methodical 11 play, 50 yard drive, that culminated in a 3 yard touchdown run by FB Richard Gray. Gray ran off-tackle right and ran over Ouse #27 on his way to the end zone.

Ouse responded immediately with a drive of their own. QB #1 moved around in the pocket, scrambled, and hit a deep shot down the right-hand side to put Ouse into field goal range. 3 plays later, he hit #13 on a go route down the left side of the field for a well earned 25 yard TD. The 2 point conversion failed.

Norwich went straight to work on the very next drive and marched down the field behind runs from Tim Johnson, Jay Crawl, and 2 catches from Fred Harris. The second of which was a 11 yard fade to the front pylon that put the Devils another score in front. The 2 point attempt failed.

Ouse kept the ball for a short time, punted, then forced a 3 and out from the Devils before taking the ball over again at their own 25. Some good running, and a catch and run from #13 saw them make good ground but their drive was cut short by an interception on an air ball from #1 by Devils CB Tay Green. Green ran it back deep into Ouse territory to set up the offence with great field position.

The message to OC, from Head Coach Stuart Theobald, was to kill the game with a final clock milking drive. The Devils went back to the ground game behind Tim Johnson and Joe Jacobs and drove the ball down to the end zone in 9 plays. The ball was finally punched in from an empty set with a pass from Crawl to Adam Jones from 3 yards out.

The final drive had sunk the dagger in and put pay to any realistic attempt to bring the game back for Ouse. They attempted one more drive but ran the ball twice and scrambled to eventually go 3 and out.

Norwich took over and ran the ball until time expired. Final score, Norwich Devils 26 Ouse Valley Eagles 6.

Watch the full game here.